Humphreys et al. 2010
The active components in the inoculum are mycorrhizal fungi propagules in the form of spores and colonized root fragments. When one of these colonizing units touches or comes into very close proximity with living root tissue, they are activated by minute amounts of specialized root exudates and begin the colonization process.
The use of pesticides does not aid in a plant’s natural immune response
Colonising the plant’s roots and penetrating the root cells with their branching structures, excluding and protecting the roots from pathogens
Mycorrhizal fungi also release several antibiotic substances into their mycorrhizospheres
Plant communication through MF allows neighboring plants to upregulated immune or defense resoponses
Mycorrhizal pre-inoculation significantly enhanced activities of the four enzymes in the leaves upon pathogen infection (early blight disease, Song et al. 2015)
Management practices that recognize soil health have potential to improve water conservation, nutrient use efficiency and yields
Good soil quality reduces erosion & leaching potential
Good soil quality improves soil organic matter and biodiversity
Frequent tillage may reduce mycorrhizal associations, and broad spectrum fungicides are toxic to mycorrhizal fungi. Very high levels of nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizer may reduce inoculation of roots.
The exceptions are many members of the Cruciferae family (e.g., broccoli, mustard), and the Chenopodiaceae family (e.g. lambsquarters, spinach, beets), which do not form mycorrhizal associations. The level of dependency on mycorrhizae varies greatly among varieties of some crops, including wheat and corn.